Musician Gareth Davies talks to broadcaster David Freeman about the London Symphony Orchestra on tour, both its historic first visit to the United States in 1912 and life on the road today. The 1912 LSO narrowly missed the ill-fated trip on the Titanic. Davies, principal flute at the LSO, delved into recently discovered diaries and into archive material on both sides of the Atlantic to tell the story of the groundbreaking expedition. And he recounts the challenges faced by today’s musicians, many of them similar, as the modern-day LSO contends with volcanoes, airports, strikes, illness and life-and-death situations. The event will include a short film about the 1912 LSO tour.

Davies has been principal flute with the LSO since 2000 and has performed with many great conductors including Sir Colin Davis, Haitink, Gergiev, Maazel, Rattle, Rostropovitch, and Previn. He will perform pieces of music to illustrate this talk.